Please submit only technical tips that will help other TidBITS readers better use their Macs, iPhones, iPads, and related software and hardware. All product announcements should be sent to releases@tidbits.com.

Tip title*

Your tip*

URL

Enter the URL to a Web page that supports your tip.

Linked text

Enter the name of the page linked above.

Your name*

Your email*

* indicates required fields

To help us avoid automated posts and spam, please enter the words below.

When you submit a tip, you give us permission to use it. Read our terms for more details. All submissions are reviewed before publication.

Our terms: By submitting a tip, you agree to assign TidBITS Publishing Inc., a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual license to reproduce, publish, and distribute your tip in connection with the TidBITS Web site and associated products in any media. You agree that you created the content you submitted, and that you have the right to assign us this license. You give us permission to use your name, but your email address won't be publicly displayed or shared. We review all submissions before publication, and reserve the right to select which submissions we feel are appropriate for our readers and to edit those we publish.

Our terms: We reserve the right to edit or delete any comment, so please post thoughtfully. We use your email address only to send you a one-time verification message confirming that you posted this comment. We also store your address to allow you to verify using other Web browsers in the future. For more info, see our privacy policy.

ChronoSync Secret Menubar Shortcut

For a quick way to run a ChronoSync document without opening it, use the ChronoSync menu in the menubar. Select "Show ChronoSync menu in menubar" in ChronoSync's General Preferences window to activate the menu bar menu. Once activated, you'll see the ChronoSync circling arrows icon in the menu bar, at the top right of your screen.

You can open any scheduled ChronoSync document directly from the menu bar. If you hold down the Option key while selecting a ChronoSync document, the synchronization will run immediately without the ChronoSync document opening.

The Simpsons Takes Aim at Apple

As any self-respecting Apple user/Simpsons fanatic should know by now, a recent installment of The Simpsons indulged in a healthy serving of Apple satire. If you don't follow The Simpsons religiously, you'll want to check out the show's 427th episode, "Mypods and Boomsticks," which begins and ends with a slew of Apple jokes, focusing on Lisa Simpson's newfound love for everything "Mapple."

When the Springfield Mall unveils a new Mapple Store, the Simpsons find themselves perusing shelves full of Mypods, Myphones, and mysterious Mycubes that are "fueled by dreams and powered by imagination." We watch Lisa attempt to purchase Myphonies (fake earbuds for those who can't afford a Mypod), the Comic Book Guy harass the Brainiac Bar about mayonnaise in his optical drive, and a keynote speech from Mapple CEO Steve Mobs that's delivered via webcam from the underwater Mapple Headquarters but overdubbed by Bart with some biting commentary. There's also a reference to the classic 1984 Apple commercial introducing the first Macintosh computer, an Itchy and Scratchy episode
featuring Mypods, and an underwater meeting between Lisa and Mobs that echoes a recent act of Apple philanthropy (though with far less heart-warming results).

I won't reveal any more of the Apple references so you can enjoy them for yourself. Currently you can find the full official episode on Hulu.com. Unfortunately, Hulu is available only for U.S. residents; those of you in other countries are probably best off watching the clips linked to by Engadget or searching on YouTube manually.

Automatic turns almost any car into a connected car. By pairing
Automatic’s connected car adapter with iPhone apps on
Automatic’s platform, drivers are able to drive safer and smarter.
TidBITS readers get 20% off all orders at <http://automatic.com/tb>